Hamlet- Blog Post #2

Thus far in Hamlet, Shakespeare has emphasized that humans must limit themselves in their pursuit of power. An inability to do so will lead to madness and insecurity, as it already has in the cases of Hamlet and Claudius. Hamlet's character is wholly transformed by his stance that justice must be served to Claudius. Claudius also has issues concerning power. His initial lust for power causes the death of his brother while he now appears overly troubled by holding onto his new found power. Both these characters and their actions highlight Shakespeare’s premise.

Hamlet, in particular, represents the danger of pursuing power through the first three acts of the drama. While somber and slightly suspicious at the beginning of the play, Hamlet transforms into a deceptive, crazed prince hell-bent on restoring power to his side of the family and justice in the Danish royal court. This is not to say that Shakespeare is completely at odds with Hamlet’s longing for revenge. Shakespeare, in Hamlet and his other works, does condone foul play at times for the good of a character. Yet, Shakespeare draws a line once Hamlets falls into insanity. At this point, Hamlet becomes less and less lovable as he pervades a sense of foolishness as well as danger. Hamlet’s frustration mounts to an unhealthy and concerning level for the audience, whereas Hamlet was viewed with sorrow and empathy at the beginning of the play. This shift in the portrayal of Hamlet exemplifies where Hamlet and Shakespeare diverge in thinking and morals.

Passage: Act II, Scene II. Lines 546-561

(Hamlet speaking)

Yet I,

A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak

Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause,

And can say nothing; no, not for a king

Upon whose property and most dear life

A damned defeat was made. Am I a coward?

Who calls me a villain, breaks my pate across,

Plucks off my beard and blows it in my face,

Tweaks me by the nose, gives me the lie I’ the’ throat

As deep as to the lungs? Who does this me?

Ha, ‘swounds, I should take it; for it cannot be

But I am pigeon-livered and lack gall

To make oppression bitter, or ere this

I should ‘a fatted all the region kites

With this slave’s offal. Bloody, bawdy villain!

Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindles villain!

This passage represents the shift of Hamlet’s character. Now, Hamlet has clearly become an enraged man set on avenging his father’s death. While Shakespeare does feel that Claudius deserves punishment, evidenced by the appearances of the ghost, Hamlet’s craziness shows that he has deviated from Shakespeare and into a more intense, illogical state. As mentioned earlier, Shakespeare condones Hamlet’s character and actions only as far as his appeal to the audience reaches. Past this passage in the play, Hamlet is perceived negatively due to this lust for power which he thinks he will obtain upon killing Claudius. Thus, through characterization and using the audience’s perception, Shakespeare is able to clarify where exactly he and Hamlet’s philosophies on power diverge.